What was the Toyota 86 called?
The Toyota 86 carried several names around the world depending on the market: it was sold as the GT86 in Europe, simply as the 86 (or Toyota 86) in Japan and many other markets, and in the United States it debuted as the Scion FR-S before being rebranded as the Toyota 86. The current generation is now called the GR86.
Origins and naming strategy
The Toyota 86 is the product of a joint development between Toyota and Subaru, designed to deliver an affordable, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe. The project began with the concept car FT-86 and yielded twin production models: the Toyota version and the Subaru BRZ. Branding differences across regions reflected dealership networks and marketing plans rather than fundamental engineering changes.
Market-by-market names
Here are the major regional naming conventions that have been used for the car over the years.
- Europe and the United Kingdom: GT86
- Japan: Toyota 86 (often simply 86)
- North America: Scion FR-S at launch (2013–2016); later rebranded as Toyota 86
- Australia and other markets: Toyota 86 (with some early markets using GT86 branding)
Across these markets, the underlying vehicle remained the same lightweight, balanced, rear-wheel-drive coupe developed with Subaru, with branding changes reflecting regional sales channels and marketing strategies.
Generations and evolution
The first generation ran roughly from 2012 to 2021, evolving under several names depending on the region. The second generation, introduced around 2021–2022, is marketed as the Toyota GR86, reinforcing Toyota’s GR performance sub-brand. The Subaru counterpart for both generations remains the BRZ.
What the naming tells enthusiasts
For fans, the name changes are mostly about regional branding and branding continuity with long-standing Toyota/Subaru partnerships. The core driving experience—lightweight, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive handling—remains consistent across generations.
Summary
In short, the Toyota 86 has been known as the GT86 (Europe), Toyota 86 (Japan and several markets), and Scion FR-S (early U.S. market) before becoming the Toyota GR86 in the current generation. Its Subaru sibling is BRZ, and the lineage continues with the ongoing GR86 model line.
What was GR86 called before?
FR-S
The first of the Toyota GR86 generations arrived in the US in 2012, but back then it was still sold under the Scion brand as the FR-S. By MY2017, Scion was defunct and it was rebadged as a Toyota 86.
Is it eighty six or eight six?
86 (eighty-six) is the natural number following 85 and preceding 87.
What is the Toyota 86 also known as?
Also called. Subaru BRZ. Toyota GT86 (Europe, 2012–2021) Scion FR-S (North America, 2012–2016) Toyota GR86 (2021–present)
Did the BRZ or 86 come first?
Subaru and Toyota teamed up with the development of the GR 86 and BRZ, selling badge-engineered versions of the same car under both brand names. The first of the Subaru BRZ generations was launched in 2012, the same year the original Toyota 86 went on sale.
